• medical humanities
• the internet

The 18th century was the age of reason, and the 19th century the cradle of science. The 20th century was dubbed the Century of War and Peace. The 21st century could be the Century of Reflection. But what place the internet?

One of the most exciting scientific developments in recent years has been the emergence of the internet as a means of communication and as a medium for the revelation of imaginative creativity by people previously unknown to science, literature, or the humanities. Lots of junk and some nuggets are jumbled up in cyberspace and most of us will not find time to surf between the flotsam and jetsam in search of the gold. Instead we rely on focused searches in our field of concern. Chain mail passed on by someone you know is, however, always a distraction.

The following piece of prose is an example. It originated in the USA and it was posted around the world for “Happy Friendship Week” early in 2002. The originator is named as Andy Rooney. It was then passed from desk to desk in an accelerating international cybercascade with the request that it be read reflectively and then passed on to friends. It is reproduced here at some length, before comment.